JET Program: 38 Days Until Japan! (Placement Revealed)

Hi friends! I feel like lately I’ve been too busy to really sit down and chat with you all, but I wanted to make a quick update on my JET Program journey while I have some time over the holiday weekend. As the title states, I’ve received notice of my departure date – January 6, 2021!

It feels so weird saying 2021, but I can’t believe January 6, 2021 is in 38 days! In just over a month, I will finally be on my way to living and working in Japan. I received my placement information earlier this month, and I could not have been happier. I mentioned in a previous post that my first choice placement was Kyoto, and that’s exactly where I was placed! I honestly was not expecting to be placed in Kyoto as I’ve heard of how competitive this location is to get, so you can probably imagine the pure shock and excitement I felt when I opened the placement email. My contracting organization is Kyoto-fu, or Kyoto Prefecture, which I later found out that there are two categories for assistant language teachers (ALTs): municipal and prefectural. Without going too much into the differences, one thing I quickly learned is that prefectural ALTs have to wait longer than municipal ALTs to find out the specifics of their placement. Since prefectural ALTs are contracted by the Board of Education (BOE) which oversees many schools throughout the entire prefecture, it’s hard to pinpoint where exactly in the prefecture they will be placed. Therefore, while I was over the moon that I was placed in Kyoto, I was still unsure and waiting in anticipation to find out if I would be placed in the city center or rural outskirts of Kyoto. Well, about a week ago, I received the specifics of my school placement from the Kyoto Prefectural BOE. I’m going to Sonobe High School in Nantan City!

Sonobe seems to be about 40 minutes to an hour away from the main Kyoto city area when riding public transportation. Honestly, I’m not too sure what to expect in this town as I don’t have a predecessor to rely on for information. A lot of uncertainties for sure, but I’m sure I’ll love my placement and school!

Right now, I’m juggling working overtime and trying to get my documents in order. There’s just so much to do, like studying Japanese and packing. I’ve already given away most of my makeup collection to friends (although, I will admit that I went on a little shopping spree when the palettes I’ve been eyeing went on sale) and donated the clothes I’ve decided I won’t be taking with me. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales going on, I purchased some UNIQLO business casual pants as well as a new camera and lens, which I will reveal soon! I’m in this weird stage where I feel like I have both a lot of time but also not that much time left before the departure date. There’s so much to do before I depart, but I’m very excited that things are finally falling into place now.

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